Thirty-nine attorneys general have urged congressional leadership to fund a program for those with health issues linked to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The letter addresses the AGs’ “profound concern” for “thousands of first responders, survivors, and families impacted” by the attacks. According to the attorneys general, the program is “facing an impending and devastating budget shortfall.”
“For nearly fifteen years, the WTC Health Program has been an essential resource for more than 135,000 Americans exposed to toxic dust and debris following the collapse of the Twin Towers,” the letter continues. “These include firefighters, law enforcement officers, EMTs, construction workers, volunteers, and community members who were present in the aftermath. Many of them are now suffering from chronic respiratory illnesses, cancers, mental health conditions, and other serious ailments directly linked to their exposure. They live in all 50 states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. This is an issue that impacts all of us.”
The letter notes that it is a “moral obligation” that Congress enact legislation protecting the program’s funding to prevent growing waitlists and denial of specialized care.
The attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming signed the letter, as well as those of Washington, D.C., American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Northern Mariana Islands.
In February, Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) and Sen. Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced legislation to modify the World Trade Center Health Program’s funding.
